The U.S. Department of Justice recently decided that the 1961 federal Wire Act only applies to sports-related gambling. This is huge news for the potentially lucrative state-sanctioned online gaming industry. It could pave the path for agreements between legal gaming states or internationally, claims renowned gambling legal expert I. Nelson Rose.

According to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, Illinois state officials recently awarded a six-year contract to Scientific Games (SG) to administer the state’s video gaming central system once the programme is up and running. The paper projected that games will be installed in locations by the end of 2012 at the latest.

The agreement could be worth more than $69m for the New York-based company. At the end of the term, the contract could be renewed for an additional four years.

The preliminary schedule for the 2012 Amusement Expo has been released. The dates for this year’s convention, o-sponsored by the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) and the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), are 14-16 March. It will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and once again run alongside the National Bulk Vendors Association (NBVA) Expo. 


The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Leadership Conference will take place in Los Angeles on 22-24 February. The conference will focus on networking and offer practical learning at several Los Angeles amusement parks and attractions.

Registration is open and a discounted early-bird rate is available until 27 January. For more information and to register, visit www.iaapa.org.

The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) recently hit its highest ranking in five months. The monthly RPI is a composite index of the U.S. restaurant industry, analysing its condition and outlook. Its 100.6 level in November – the second above-100 ranking in three months – was up 0.6 percent from October.

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) is paying close attention to the Dollar Coin Alliance. The National Bulk Vendors Association and other important industries using coin payments have joined forces to stop Congress from discontinuing production of the high-denomination coins, and to promote an increase in their circulation.

One problem that has been facing operators for years is the lack of quality, verifiable information about advertised business opportunities. Long referred to as “biz ops”, unregulated promises have financially ruined millions of aspiring businesspeople.

In Washington, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has revised its Business Opportunity Rule, with the new version going into effect on 1 March 2012. The changes aim to ensure that consumers have the necessary information to evaluate work-at-home programmes or other business opportunities.

The Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) recently released the results of its first comprehensive member survey in more than ten years. Conducted in the spring, the poll invited the organisation’s 1400 members to participate via SurveyMonkey, an online tool. More than 70 operators in 26 states responded, and most answered the 61 questions.

The results suggest that the typical operator is independently-minded and in their forties or fifties, with some college education. They typically employ fewer than ten people. Member operators prefer to deal with smaller local banks and make their own travel reservations. It is an ageing business, and more than 93 percent of respondents are over 40. Almost a third are over 60.

Once again,Illinoisoperators are caught in the middle of legislative brinksmanship. Waiting for two years to start operating within the 2009 Video Game Act (VGA), they have been plagued by delays and changes.

Companies have already been approved to operate, distribute and manufacture games withinIllinois. But now, once again, Governor Pat Quinn is pressing for possible regulatory modifications.

Video lottery terminal (VLT) operators in South Dakota, one of the jurisdictions where the games have been legalised longest, are celebrating good news from the state’s supreme court. They may now operate virtually anywhere the state allows, and cannot be excluded by local authorities, although they are restricted to liquor-licensed locations.

Georgia governor Nathan Deal has joined law enforcement and political leaders in announcing a statewide crackdown on sweepstakes video games, which they consider illegal. They estimate that up to 100 Internet cafes in Georgia offer sweepstakes video games, and Deal is concerned about the rapid growth of this market.

Can’t find a pinball machine at your local tavern or arcade? It’s no longer a problem. Stern Pinball, the last of the great pinball manufacturers and the world’s leading producer, announced that Best Buy will now sell flipper games. As one of the leading electronics retailers in the U.S., Best Buy has a huge distribution presence across America.

Following the legal decisions to allow the 2009 Video Gaming Act (VGA) to move forward, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has begun to issue its first state manufacturing and distribution licences. Several venerable amusement Chicago-area manufacturers and distributors have applied for them, with plans to build or sell video lottery terminals as the new VLT market unfolds. Some have already received word that their applications have been accepted.

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA), the national American trade association representing game makers, suppliers and distributors, celebrated the organisation’s 20th anniversary at its eighth annual distributor gala in August outside Chicago. The association’s membership previewed more than two dozen new products.

Brunswick Bowling in the U.S. is aiming at “younger and edgier” bowlers with its new DV8 ball range, marketed under the slogan “Damn Good Bowling”. The four-ball product line has “more cockiness to the attitude, and more aggressive punch to the actual performance”, said Brunswick president Brent Perrier.

The ever-changing battle for video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Illinois continues. The state’s house of representatives voted for a proposed law known as SB 744, which allows five new casinos within the state, including one in downtown Chicago, and others at racetracks and at O’Hare International Airport. Estimates of $1.5bn in licensing fees for this year, and a minimum of $500m in annual new tax revenues, are expected to help rescue the disastrous Illinois economy.

In several parts of the U.S., sweepstakes video games are confronting law-enforcement challenges. State officials are citing violations of various gambling laws within their jurisdictions. In mid-June, for example, Ohio Investigative Bureau agents and local police in Bowling Green raided an Internet cafe, seizing sweepstakes video games.

Could ATMs and kiosk-type ticket vending machines be partially responsible for the 9.1 percent unemployment rate plaguing the U.S.? President Barack Obama seems to think so. During a television interview on 13 June, the journalist asked Obama why he could not convince corporate America to hire more employees, despite record profits.

Marshfield, Massachusetts is back where it began 28 years ago. The small town was the first to attempt enforcement of an arcade ban in the early 1980s. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the town’s favour then, and local voters have upheld the ordinance ever since.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington DC, an independent federal agency supporting artists and arts organisations, has classified video games as an art form. In seeking grants, the NEA has expanded its guidelines by introducing an Arts in Media category, which replaces the former Arts on Radio and Television classification.

More than 14,000 soft-tip dart competitors from seven countries converged on Las Vegas for nine days in early May for the National Dart Association’s (NDA) annual Team Dart international tournament. This year’s event awarded more than $500,000 in prize money.

Once again, the 2009 Illinois Video Gaming Act (VGA) is facing legal problems. To help reduce budget deficits, the VGA legalised operator-run video lottery terminals (VLTs) as part of a more general bill. The Illinois Coin Machine Operators Association (ICMOA), like most state associations, has supported operator-involved VLT legislation since the 1980s.

On 10 May, the South Dakota Legislature’s rules review committee unanimously authorised the state lottery commission to operate slot-style games on video lottery terminals (VLTs) statewide.

Operators of video lottery terminals in West Virginia are enjoying some good news while also worrying about some bad news. The state and local economies have rebounded a bit, motivating customers to play more often. Even winter numbers improved over 2010 revenues.

The quiet did not last long in Alabama. Only two months after Robert Bentley was sworn in as the new governor in January, trouble resurfaced on the bingo front.

After succeeding former governor Bob Riley, Bentley disbanded Riley’s task force of armed state troopers who had shut down bingo halls statewide. Bentley stated that he wanted a court decision on the matter.

On 25 March, the South Dakota Lottery Commission voted unanimously for a rule change that allows operators to add new, slot-style games to the state’s 9156 video lottery terminals (VLTs).

The list of permissible games has long been murky, and the state’s VLTs have only offered poker, blackjack, keno and bingo. Supporters claimed that “line” and slot-style game play were already technically legal, but acknowledged that no exact regulations to implement their operation had ever been formally adopted.

New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in late March reveals trends that may impact the market positioning of amusement operations.

Between 2000 and 2010, the U.S. Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, to a total of 50.5m people. The non-Hispanic population only grew by five percent, reaching 258m. Further examination reveals that within that number, the white population increased by just one percent to 196.8m.

New York Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo has signed a new law that allows coin-operated amusement games to award extra balls, free games or additional time.

It amends a 1987 law which criminalised pinball machines that awarded free balls, or video games that extended time, based on players’ performances. Its aim was to curtail gambling, but the 1987 language failed to distinguish between coin-op amusements, which do not dispense money or coupons, and wagering devices.

Whether the reason is a better economy or a continued interest in darts, the AMOA-National Dart Association (NDA) has reported a spike in entries for the Team Dart 2011 tournament over the past three competitions.

Entries have increased by more than ten percent from 2010, totalling over 14,000 entrants from seven countries. Registration for Team Dart 2011 has now closed. The contest is scheduled for 29 April to 7 May at Bally’s Las Vegas, its new host hotel in the centre of the Las Vegas Strip.

The new federal healthcare legislation, often called Obamacare and passed in 2010, continues to poll unfavourably with the public and remains divisive across America. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to overturn the entire law, but that hasn’t happened. However, an important corrective action was taken in mid-March when the House passed legislation that repeals a controversial provision in the law.

The second Amusement Expo in Las Vegas enjoyed a surge of buyers over its first show in 2010. The 1522 registered buyers represented a 47 percent increase from the 807 buyers last year. Exhibitor numbers also jumped 26 percent, with 135 companies reserving booth space, compared to 101 in 2010. There were 373 booths; last year the number was 306, an 18 percent rise. The total attendance of 3083 increased from 1894 in 2010.

As if the massive business and personal tax hikes recently signed into law by Democratic Illinois Governor Pat Quinn were not bad enough, the 2009 Video Gaming Act (VGA) may also be in trouble. The Act was passed as a portion of 2009’s Capital Improvement Act public-works legislation.

The VGA legalised Illinois operators as potential partners in a statewide video-gaming programme. It passed with the expectation that small businesses would benefit and tax revenues would be generated for the state treasury.

The AMOA has also formed an alliance with Columbus, Ohio firm Circone & Associates, an award-winning branding agency. Using its long-standing relationship with the coin-op amusement industry, the agency will assist the AMOA with projects that include maximising AMOA’s value as an organisation to its members, as well as developing partnerships within and outside the market.

New government can make all the difference, as Alabama’s operators have discovered. Within a day of being sworn in, Alabama’s new Republican governor Robert Bentley dismantled the widely disliked Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

The Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) is to promote and co-ordinate a special jukebox fund-raising campaign for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity group committed to funding research to find cures for childhood cancers.

A recent NSM announcement of its plan to provide music and jukes directly to locations has come under fire from the AMOA. This concept is similar to NSM’s earlier Jukes Direct programme from three years ago.

In its weekly newsletter, the AMOA criticised this latest attempt, saying that three years ago the direct-sales programme made little impact. The newsletter also said it is “just not a model that, long-term, holds much promise, at least domestically.”

As Illinois struggles with one of the highest per-capita budget deficits in the U.S., state legislators are frantically seeking opportunities to raise revenues to offset potential economic disaster. One proposed solution, Senate Bill 737, would permit five new casino licences to be added the state’s existing ten riverboat licences (covering nine locations). It would also expand the scope of gaming in those sites, and authorise slot machines at the state’s horse tracks.

For ten years, 35-year industry veteran Jack Guarnieri has resold Stern Pinball equipment on classic games Website PinballSales.com. And on 1 January, Guarnieri announced his decision to produce his own fully-loaded commercial-quality pinball machines as Jersey Jack Pinball.

The Chuck E. Cheese’s chain of pizza-parlours-cum-family-entertainment-centres, owned by CEC Entertainment of Dallas, has launched a programme that awards tickets and prizes to online players of its Blaster game.

North Carolina governor Bev Perdue does not condone video poker parlours, but may agree to legalising them because of her state’s budget crunch. The revenues projected would justify allowing them. Perdue would insist on tight controls and regulation, requiring that all participants have a fair chance to win.

As the last U.S. Congress ended, the Senate passed House Resolution 6162, the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010, on 1 December. The House of Representatives had already voted for the same legislation, and it becomes law when signed by President Obama.

Both the amusement and vending sectors consider this an important victory, although new coin-validation costs may total into the millions.

After multiple delays and complications arising from its early approval of Scientific Games, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) reopened the contractor bidding process for the central computer system that will manage the state’s operator-run video lottery market.

Ohio’s Supreme Court has declared the $10 prize payout limit on skill games constitutional. Legal challenges had argued that the law arbitrarily attempted to limit legal activity, and that the limit did not rationally distinguish between illegal gaming and legal skill games.

The Las Vegas Hilton will play host to a three-day conference and trade show for the operators of family entertainment centres (FECs). The convention will take place from 28 February to 2 March, overlapping the 2011 Amusement Expo.

The Jukebox License Office (JLO) has decided that jukebox licensing fees must increase after a two-year freeze. These fees are charged for the public performance of music on CD and 45rpm coin phonographs. In 2009, the office licensed about 26,100 CD and vinyl boxes.

As we reported briefly in Euroslot’s October issue, in early November the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear oral arguments in the California video-game violence case initiated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The case, Schwarzenegger vs Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and Entertainment Software Association (ESA), focuses on a California law aiming to ban the sale of violent home-played games to minors.

Operators of family entertainment centres (FECs) from across the U.S. convened in Virginia recently to strategise for their future. The event was hosted by a special consortium of four amusement-machine distributors, called FEC NRG – the second acronym standing for “new revenue generation”.

To reduce minting costs, proposed federal legislation will allow the U.S. Treasurer to study changes in metal content in coin alloys. However, the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act bans changes that negatively impact the vending industry.

West Virginian operators of video lottery terminals (VLTs) scored a victory on 29 September when the state lottery commission amended its rules regarding VLT licence-holders.

Current licensees – mostly operators – are now allowed to bid on unclaimed licences in every round. Bids for ten-year VLT licences began in October; the licences run from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2021.

In at least ten states across the U.S., video games that integrate sweepstakes contests and simulate slot play have increased. By rewarding players with cash prizes that are based on a predetermined sweepstakes model, these machines have caused controversy and uncertainty for law-enforcement officials. Police have already raided locations in several cities and states.

Georgia operators triumphed when the Georgia Supreme Court overturned a lower appeals court’s decision in October, favouring adult redemption video games. The ruling declares these games legal, despite players’ ability to accumulate points or credits over several plays without paying for a new play.

Don’t look for video lottery terminals (VLTs) to appear in Illinois taverns until next summer, say several news sources. Licensing procedures recently began for operators and locations, and Illinois will again seek bids for providing a central system.

That deal was originally awarded to Scientific Games, but the state cancelled it after noticing that the price had been calculated incorrectly. State officials will monitor the second bidding process. Once again, this is bureaucracy at its best.

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is requesting that its members, many who are also coin-operated amusement operators, to join a grassroots protest against the implementation of a provision of the new federal “Obamacare” health plan.

It requires all businesses to file a 1099 tax form with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whenever the company pays a supplier or service provider more than $600 in the course of a year.

The West Virginia Amusement and Limited Lottery Association, along with location owners, have sued the West Virginia Lottery Commission, charging that the state’s planned three-part bidding process for video lottery terminal (VLT) licence renewals will have a negative impact on existing operators and locations.

New rules recently adopted by the lottery commission opened bidding for 5000 out of 8100 licences in early August, in preparation for replacing the licences that will expire on 30 June 2011.

The House Financial Services Committee in late July voted 41-22 to support the Internet Gambling Regulation and Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (HR 2267) sponsored by the committee’s chairman, Representative Barney Frank.

The bill now proceeds to the full House where Speaker Nancy Pelosi must schedule a vote.

If enacted, the proposal will legalise online poker and other non-sports betting and create a multibillion-dollar U.S. market for Internet wagering. It is estimated that Internet gaming would generate up to $4bn in annual taxes and regulatory fees for the U.S. government.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has committed to hold its annual IAAPA Attractions Expo at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida until 2019.

The new agreement adds five years to the association’s original deal with the OCCC (pictured), and means the scheduled 2011 Las Vegas expo is cancelled.

The governor of Illinois, Pat Quinn, signed legislation in late July to involve more operators in the state’s planned video lottery market.

The new law makes technical changes to the original Video Gaming Act from July 2009, which was strongly supported by the Illinois Coin Machine Operators Association (ICMOA).

Despite opposition from the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) Chairman Aaron Jaffe, the new legislation passed in the General Assembly.

While most leisure activities have changed and lost a portion of their audiences over time, pool has both survived and thrived in the U.S. After hosting competitions for 30 seasons, the Valley 8-Ball League Association (VNEA) celebrated the association’s 160-millionth league game. The organization was established in 1980 by a handful of operators who never anticipated the wild success of the VNEA and the international popularity of the games.

Bob Fay, longtime industry veteran and now Director of Government Relations for AMI Entertainment Network, has been appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Commerce's Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Consumer Goods. He will represent AMI Entertainment and the U.S. amusements industry. Fay has vast government experience, first as a former FBI agent and longtime expert in international trade matters, and then serving 14 years in the late 1980s through the 1990s as Executive Director and President of the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA).

In Nashville, Tennessee, The Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland Hotel, the central shrine of country music and site of several AMOA conventions, sustained serious water damage following historic floods during early May. The state sustained at least $1 billion in damages, also affecting Tennessee amusement operators.

A few Texas school districts have introduced a new curriculum that could appeal to younger students and motivate them toward a future career. The Fort Bend Independent School District (ISD) in Sugar Land, a suburb of Houston, is focused on recruiting incoming freshman for the new program this fall, which will open to all Fort Bend ISD students.

The Colorado Lottery could soon operate video lottery terminals in the state's bars and restaurants, if lawmakers pass Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 by a two-thirds approval vote. Colorado voters would then have to authorize the machines in a referendum in November.

While it is too early to quantify the disastrous economic effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, tourism will almost certainly be affected for months to come. Summer is the height of the vacation season, and Gulf Coast amusement/arcade operators worry that their resort and beachfront location revenues will plummet if the spill is not contained and cleaned up quickly.

By an almost two-to-one margin in April, the Florida House approved a proposed 20-year gambling compact with the Seminole tribe. The state Senate passed the compact by a three-to-one vote. It should go through official measures smoothly since Florida Governor Charlie Crist strongly supports it and the U.S. Interior Department, which regulates Native American gaming, should also give its okay.

Oklahoma legislators passed a bill that triples the state’s sales tax decal for vending and coin-op amusement equipment from $50 to $150. The price increase took effect on July 1. Currently, vending and amusement operators buy a decal at an annual flat fee for each machine on location. This cost takes the place of paying total sales volume taxes. Operator fees have remained stable since 1988. They apply to food and beverage machines, as well as jukeboxes and games.

After years of co-location, the three national trade associations that own Fun Expo- IAAPA, AMOA and AAMA-have decided to shut the show down. The convention had lost money last March when commingled with the Amusement Expo in Las Vegas. As a 50% owner, IAAPA controlled the show’s destiny, and constant rumors circulated that the show would be discontinued.

In Nashville, Tennessee, The Grand Ole Opry and the Opryland Hotel, the central shrine of country music and site of several AMOA conventions, sustained serious water damage following historic floods during early May. The state sustained at least $1 billion in damages, also affecting Tennessee amusement operators.

One of the worst examples was in Old Hickory, just north of Nashville. The Riverside Family Fun World, a large FEC, included an arcade, batting cages, gokart track and miniature golf course. All were severely damaged from 12-ft.- high waters.

The US Navy’s Office of Naval Research recently released a study that confirms that videogame playing increases cognitive abilities up to 20%. The story on strategypage.com claims videogame activity helps troops solve problems more quickly and enact solutions faster.

The Illinois amusement operators are watching the ongoing political and economic erosion of the planned Illinois video gaming market.  More than 63 towns and counties have already opted, with potentially a dozen more.

The AMOA hosted its first 45-minute webinar to its Board of Directors and Political Action Committee (PAC) donors in early February. The topics affecting amusement operators included taxes, product safety, smoking regulations, copyright law enforcement and national legislative briefings.

On December 28, 2009, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed amended legislation that increases how many coin-operated games may be placed in the city’s public locations without an arcade license. Officials from the Amusement and Music Owners Association of New York (AMOA-NY) joined the mayor in the official signing. The threshold of game placements rises from four to nine. An arcade license is required for locating 10 or more games at a single site.

The AMOA has announced its dates for the start of its 2010 Notre Dame Management Development Program on the South Bend, Indiana campus. The next Masters II class begins with courses set for the weekend of October 23 and 24. The standard program, Class XV’s first session, will be held from October 22 to 25. More details to be available soon.

According to a December 22, 2009 ruling from the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the state’s General Assembly’s 2006 ban on video poker is lawful. It ruled it legal despite offering the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians the right to operate gambling games on tribal land while denying that opportunity to other North Carolina citizens.

In what would seem obvious, the chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) wants to ban operators who have been prosecuted or fined for running “gray-area” pokers from participating in Illinois’ planned legal video lottery market. He made the announcement at a December 16, 2009 meeting of the regulatory organization.

Good news for AMOA member operators. For the first time in several years, the Jukebox License Office (JLO) has announced that jukebox license fees will remain unchanged. Each fall, the JLO releases it fees for the coming year. JLO Manager Katie Wilkinson has reported that the 2010 rates will be the same as the 2009 fees.

Despite the ruling from the Alabama State Supreme Court on November 13 that state officials claims bans electronic bingo games as previously operated, new resorts are running the games. The court said that games seized in a law enforcement raid operate “almost exactly like slot machines.”

Despite the number of local jurisdictions “opting out” of Illinois’ planned video lottery market reaching 40, analysts with the Illinois state accounting officials claim they are not concerned. Their statistics show that this only reflects 10% of the state‘s population.

For almost a year, small businesses in the U.S. have complained that banks both large and small have not been lending money to them. The Small Business Administration claims more than half of the private sector employers create 60% to 80% of all new jobs. The majority of American amusement operators are small business owners, and many have suffered economic setbacks because of the unavailability of loans and ongoing credit.

It became official at the close of business on October 30…the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) ceased to operate. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). It is estimated that 559 IALEI- comprised of 476 family entertainment centers and 83 suppliers will transition to IAAPA. Current memberships will be honored through December 31, 2010.

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) has launched a new Facebook industry-themed “fan page”, called “Out-Of-Home Entertainment“. The social network site has 60 million U.S. members, and AAMA is positioning the page as the Internet hub for coin-op. They also want to reach the player base.

The Amusement and Music Owners Association of New York (AMOA-NY) believes the law is vital to protecting operator-location agreements. The trade group aims to protect its latest contract samples, which stipulates service terms between operators and locations, and is available only for members.

Illinois amusement operators are growing afraid of scaled down participation in legalized video poker.  Cook County, home of Chicago and America’s second largest county with 128 municipalities and five million-plus people, voted twice this fall to reject legalized, operator-run video poker. To date, more than two dozen municipalities across Illinois have voted to opt out.

After two decades of rumours and discussion, officials from both the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) and the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) announced a show merger. On September 24, the groups disclosed that the AAMA's Amusement Showcase International (ASI) trade show will be combined into a single show with the AMOA's International Expo. The show will collocate with Fun Expo on March 10-12, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In a six-to-one decision, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in late September that prior to the Ohio Lottery Commission installing 17,500 video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the state's seven racetracks, voters must approve the action in a statewide referendum. The ruling will delay Democratic Governor Ted Strickland's July 10 executive order to install the VLTs next year.

Unlike the decades when Nevada and then Atlantic City enjoyed a casino monopoly in the U.S., legalized gaming in some form has proliferated throughout the country. Today, 40 states have some form of wagering, and casinos have sprung up on land, rivers, on Indian reservation lands and in racetracks. Also, video lottery terminals in taverns are in several states, some with operator participation and others run strictly by the state government.

One Illinois county's officials have already voted unanimously to ban newly legalized video lottery terminals from unincorporated areas. The ban will exempt cities in DuPage County near Chicago, but several other counties may follow their lead.     

Following several contentious months and long debate, an August 26 vote approved the merger between the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The merger plan passed by an overwhelming majority- 83%- in favor of the proposal.

A new court ruling has delayed an earlier court's ruling in Ohio. For a brief period, operators were permitted to award noncash prizes valued above $10 for skill games. Following the new decision, operators are once again restricted to giving prizes worth $10 or less.

Institutional investors have predicted that IGS' second quarter revenue will hit a new quarter high, making it the highest profit earner in the Asian gaming sector. Chinesegamer and UserJoy were predicted to be the second and third most profitable respectively.

Penghu County's signature gathering process succeeded after five months.  Lan Chun-yi who submitted the referendum proposal, sent 3,853 copies of joint signature letters to the Penghu County Election Committee on July 31.The County Election Committee announced earlier that the referendum would be held on September 26.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is considering a phased-in five-to-10 year plan to halt all tobacco sales on military bases. This ban would outlaw smoking by anyone in uniform, including battlefield soldiers.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell plans to sign a video poker legalization bill as a fundraising measure to help erase a projected $3.25 billion shortfall. The original plan was to fund college scholarships, but economic emergencies burdening the state may change the scope. Despite being legally required to pass a budget by June 30, as of press time, Pennsylvania did not have an approved budget.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has granted 10-year licenses to legalize up to 17,500 slot machines, or video lottery terminals (VLTs), to be installed in Ohio's seven racetracks. The state lottery will regulate the machines. Ohio has confronted severe economic downturns. The last minute deal between the governor and the state legislature included legal definitions and regulations for the permitted slots within the state's budget bill. The slots are projected to raise $933 million in tax revenues over Ohio's next two-year budget cycle. Strickland's executive order may face a court challenge.

Texas law enforcement agencies throughout the state are reselling seized eight-liner machines. Confiscated from allegedly illegal game rooms, these machines are then sold back to the original operators in those same game rooms or other venues. Houston's local Channel 11 news reports that some of the confiscated machines are auctioned on eBay for $250 and up.

In veto-proof majorities in both the Illinois House and Senate, each licensed bar and truck stop statewide will be permitted to operate up to five video gaming devices. As part of an omnibus bill favored by Governor Pat Quinn, the Video Gaming Act is among many fundraising provisions. The 30% tax on legal poker earnings could generate $375 million in annual revenues for the state, with much allocated toward educational projects.

President Barack Obama has endorsed The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which will give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco products. The measure overwhelmingly passed both the Senate and the House in early June.

The Louisiana State Senate has approved SB 273, requiring video poker machines inside truck stops to be at least half a mile from residential properties. If enacted into law, it would apply to truck stops seeking new gaming license applications after January 1, 2010.

As of press time, negotiators from the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) were completing the conditions of the proposed merger between the two groups.

U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act. It would allow online gambling in the U.S. for the first time in three years. American businesses could legally compete in this market for the first time.

After an eventful decade, veteran American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) leader Mike Rudowicz has stepped down as president. With 40 years of industry experience, he brought knowledge of both distribution and manufacturing to his job.

The registration of GTI Asia China Expo 2009 has started; the first companies to complete the registration were members of Panyu Game Association, Panyu government, Jucheng Technology, Shuang Ying, Belrare, Borden, Yi Eel Shang Enterprise, Nippo Tusho, Zhong Yi, 7 Color, Fuchen and BingoKing International; more companies will be finishing the registration soon.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States, claims that up to 70,000 Americans become legally blind each year.

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is urging operators to lobby their Congressional representative against the so-called "employee free choice" or "card check" legislation. It eliminates the secret ballot in union elections and could negatively impact small businesses.

If Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell's proposed video poker plan- House Bill 1317- which excludes operators, is legalized, up to half of the state's 400 amusement companies would likely close. John Milliron, legislative counsel of the Pennsylvania Amusement and Music Machine Association (PAMMA) testified before the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee on May 7. Milliron warned this formula would cut into entertainment dollars used for tavern coin-operated amusements. The Pennsylvania Tavern Association's executive director also testified, claiming state and local taxes and licensing fees taverns would negate their 25% share.

Bad news for operators with equipment in restaurants and food service operations. NPD Group, a research firm, has reported that young adults- ages 18 to 24- have restricted their restaurant visits. This group represents the most lucrative restaurant demographic. As parents seek ways to save money, more are leaving their children home. Children's parties also declined by 3%.

Accusing state legislators of hypocrisy for running a state lottery while banning privately-owned video poker, a state representative  plans to introduce a bill are underway to legalize a video poker program that could raise $500 million annually. North Carolina had legal amusement-only video poker until 2007, the year after the lottery was launched.

In May, a membership board vote will decide if the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI) will be absorbed into the Family Entertainment Center (FEC) committee of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). IAAPA's board must also approve a merger.

President Barack Obama unveiled a $730 million small-business stimulus package on March 16. Banks receiving federal bailout money must increase lending to small businesses to help make payroll, purchase equipment and maintain (or expand) employment levels.

Fewer attendees were at the March Amusement Showcase International (ASI) and co-located Fun Expo trade shows. The economy and stricter company travel policies were the explanations.

The National Dart Association's (NDA) new MySpace page went live in March. NDA officials hope its presence showcases the association via videos, slideshows and blogs. The MySpace page lets visitors sign up for NDA's player e-newsletter and find quick links to the association's services. MySpace members can add NDA as a friend at myspace.com/ndadarts.

The National Pinball Museum launched a new website, www.nationalpinballmuseum.org. The site offers unique pinball premiums for gift ideas, plus information about a little-known pinball museum in Paris. Viewers may sign up for the National Pinball Museum's quarterly newsletter Tilt.

South Dakota lawmakers have recommended that the state keep its split with the video poker industry on a 50-50 basis. Currently, South Dakota receives about $112 million annually from video poker.

Video poker operators got both good and bad news on February 19. A Superior Court judge ruled on that North Carolina's 2006 ban on video poker machines was illegal. However, he also required that additional legal proceedings on the issue take place before any operators could revive the poker market.

By late 2009, videogame manufacturer Merit Entertainment and jukebox make Rowe International will assimilate their production facilities and staffing. They will shift production of Rowe jukeboxes, money changing machines and Merit terminals to Reynosa, Mexico, along the Texas-Mexico border. The move will result in the loss of 100 jobs.

After four months of testing, TouchTunes jukeboxes across the U.S. will be able to use wireless broadband technology. The jukebox company will offer customers a two-year contract deal for $10.45 per week. Their focus was to offer a flexible and economical method for connecting the TouchTunes network to broadband wireless. One advantage is that while enjoying the benefits of hardwired connections, wireless services eliminate the time-consuming, complex processes. The speed also increases operator revenues by 25% over dialup boxes.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who effectively legalized casino slot parlors in 14 venues state wide, is looking to expand gaming to help the commonwealth. He has proposed legalizing video poker, awarding the proceeds to funding educational scholarships. His original target date of this fall has created a massive response from parents seeking help with next semester's tuition costs.